Folding crate.



Noa41,s19. PATENTED JAN. 15, 1907.

J. W. PULWILER. I FOLDING GRATE.

APPLIUATI-ON FILED JULY 20, 1905.

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afaknmzz'fleij Inventor.

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PATENTED JAN. 15, 1907.

J. W. FULWILER. FOLDING CRATE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 20, 1905.

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h v R Q QN QN mm M s m .r L m 9 wm mm Attorn eys JOHN W. FULWILER, OF FAIR PLAY, MISSOURI.

FOLDING CRATE.

I Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 15, 1907.

Application filed July 20,1905. Serial No 270.556.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit knownthat I, JOHN W. FULWILER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Fair Play, in'the countyof Polk and State of Missouri, have invented a newand useful F olding Crate, of which the following is a specification.

This inventionrelates to coops or crates, andespecially to those crates used for shipment of chickens or other poultry, after the sale of whichthe crates are returned empty to the shipper.

It is an object of this invention to provide a crateof tlie class described embodying new and improved features of convenience and compactness in folding and rigidity and reliability when in operative position.

A further object of the invention is to provide a folding poultry-crate having no small detached pieces to be mislaid and not returned.

A further object of the invention is to provide a folding poultry-crate wherein the top is the only detachable section and which is inclosed securely within the crate when folded, whereby danger of loss of sections in transit is reduced to a minimum.

With these and other objects in view the present invention consists in the combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter fully described, shown in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that changes in the form, proportion, size, and minor details may be made without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the improved crate partly folded with the top suspended above. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the improved crate, taken 'on line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the improved crate, taken on a line corresponding with line 2 2 of Fig. 1, but with the parts folded. Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view of the improved crate folded and taken on line 4 4 of Fig. 3.

Like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all of the figures of the drawings.

In its preferred embodiment the improved poultry-crate forming the subject-matter of this application comprises a substantially plain .bottom 10, at the ends of which are secured cleats 11 and 12 and intermediate the ends the transverse cleat '13. Upon the end cleats are hinged the end panels 14 and 15, arranged to fold inwardly and downwardly upon the bottom 10. Upon the intermediate cleat 13 is hinged the-centerpanel 16,

side and end panels in an upright position,-

the side panels are provided with cleats 23 and 24, against the outer edge of which the slats of the end panels contact and are-held by hooks 25 engaging eyes 26. To secure the partition 16 in an upright position, cleats 27 and 28 are secured transversely across the inner sideof the side panels.

The top comprises transverse end cleats 29 and 30, to which are secured the longitudinal slats 31, with the outer slats 32 somewhat shorter than the slats 31. The end cleats 30 are provided at their middle portions with guides 33, within which is mount ed a longitudinally-movable slat 34. The top is placed upon the crate, with the cleats 29 and 30 resting upon the hooks 25 and the hooks 35 hooked within the eyes 36 in the end panels.

To prevent a backward movement of the partition 16, the top is provided with a transverse cleat 37, engaging the panel on the side opposite the cleats 27 and 28. To retain the longitudinally-movable slat 34 in operative position, a nail or pin 38 may be inserted through an opening therein and into or through the cleat 37.

To hold the crate in a folded state, hooks 39 are swiveled to any convenient portion of the side panels, as to the cleats 27 and 28, and proportioned to engage the eyes 40, secured conveniently to the bottom, as to the cleat 13, and as shown in Figs. 3 and 4.

The crate when set up may be folded by moving the slat 34, inserting the hand into the crate, unhooking the hooks 35, and lifting the top, as shown in Fig. 1. The hook 25 is then unhooked, and by springing the side panels 17 and 18 slightly outward the end panels are enabled to pass the cleats 23 and 24 and fold downwardly upon the bottom, as is also the partition 16. The top is then placed upon the folded end panels with the cleats 29 and 30 between the slats thereof.

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The side anels are neXt folded and, owing to the lengtli of the eyebolts 19 and 20 and the knee-bolts 21 and 22, are raised over and rest upon the top, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, being thereby securely held from displacement. The hooks 39, carried by the side panels, are then engaged within eyes 40, holding the side panels firmly upon the top and in condition for transportation or storage.

For setting 11 the crate the operation of folding is comp etely reversed, which will, it

, side panels and constituting connections therebetween, cleats upon the side panels, partition hinged to the bottom and adapted to bear against the cleats, means diagonally disposed within the corners of the crate for separably securing the end and the side panels together, a top having end cleats interposed between the side panels and resting top and into the crate for securing the top to the crate.

2. A folding crate comprising a bottom, side and end panels adapted to fold thereon, a partition hinged to the bottom of the crate, cleats upon the side panels adapted to be contacted by the partition, a top consisting of parallelslats and end cleats, said cleats adapted tobe seated between the side panels of the crate, straps secured above the end cleats, a longitudinally-removable slat engaging the straps, a transverse cleat upon the top and overhanging the partition to hold it against the cleats on the side panels, means upon the movable slat engaging said transverse cleat for holding the slat against movement, and means for securing the top to the crate.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN WV. FULWILER. Witnesses:

JOHN W. CoY, W. H. BLAIR. 

